Page 133 of Hot for the Hockey Player
“Rebel is a fucking idiot, and I hope he goes to prison for a very long time.”
I nodded as I diced the cucumbers for the Greek salad.
“I should have backed you up sooner, but Dad was in my ear and so was Rebel, saying it was career suicide, but it was wrong of me to listen to them.And I’m sorry.”
“Everybody has their own process,” Maverick said sympathetically.“I’m just glad you’ve come around now.”
“It really hurts, you know?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“You think you know someone.You grow up with them, then realize you didn’t know that sick fucker at all.And Gina and the kids … have you spoken to her?”
“She reached out,” Maverick said.“I know she’s lying low.Staying with her parents and just trying to shield the girls from the news and mess.”
“You’ve really opened up a can of worms, little brother,” Riot added.“A good can of worms, but a can of worms.”
“You think?I don’t think I opened up anything.I think I simply helped the women who were already coming forward open a door that had a lot of powerful men trying to keep it closed on the other side.The door was partially opened, I just … added a bit of white, male privilege muscle on therightside of it.I certainly don’t want to take away from the bravery or strength of the women who have come forward and told their story.These aretheirstories, their trauma, not mine, but I will certainly—and I hope you and all the other players and men that have come forward to support them—will continue to support them.Continue to help push open that door, until the men like Rebel, Henderson, Franks, and all the rest lose the strength to push back.”
“Dad always did say you were the smartest of his boys,” Riot remarked with amusement.
They continued to talk more about the league, how Riot’s team was doing in the playoffs, how the Storm were doing, then they circled back to positive masculinity and what they can do to help lead young men in the right direction, and away from the influence of people like Germaine Pratt.
By the end of the show, I had tears in my eyes—and not just because I was chopping onions.What was it like to have not one buttwotrue callings in life?Because not only was Maverick an incredible hockey player, but he was born to be a leader.He was born to be this voice of the future, to help lead young men away from such oppressing, toxic ideologies.He should be speaking to auditoriums filled with men like my son, deprogramming them and enlightening them.
“You okay?”Damon’s voice right beside me made me jump.I removed my earbud and faced his concerned eyes.“You’re crying.”His gaze narrowed.“Are you listening to another one of your murder podcasts?Did they get to the part where they found the body?”
Swallowing, I reached for a piece of paper towel and blotted my eyes.“No.I’m, uh … I’m listening to the latest episode of Maverick’s podcast.”
“The one with Riot?Wasn’t it great?I ended up having to edit out so much laughter.It went on for ages.You can tell they’re brothers the way they insult each other.”He chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair.
My head reared back.“What?You’re still editing for him?”
Damon looked at me like I just sprouted another head.“Yeah.Why wouldn’t I?”
“I … I don’t know.Because he moved away?”
“Yeah, but I can still edit.It’s easy.We just send files back and forth through email, or the cloud.”
Why didn’t I know about this?
“A-are you still talking to Maverick?”
Another dumbfounded look.“Uh, yeah.We text all the time.He messaged to apologize for leaving so abruptly.He said he doesn’t want to lose touch and that just because you guys aren’t together, doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be part of our lives.Laurel sent him her essay too.”
My bottom lip nearly hit the floor.
“You messed up, Mom.Maverick loves us, and you sent him away.You could have figured out a way to make it all work, but you sent him away.”His lips twisted, then he shrugged and went to grab a yogurt from the fridge before returning to the dining room table.“When do you want to leave to go to Laurel’s school?”
Standing there, frozen in shock that not only were my kids still talking to Maverick, but Damon was still working for him, I had to blink a few times, then Damon had to say “Mom” abruptly to shake me out of my fugue.
“Uh, sorry.We’ll leave in about thirty.”
He nodded and put his headphones back on, eating his yogurt while reading the screen in front of him.
You messed up, Mom.Maverick loves us, and you sent him away.
Were these Damon’s words, or Maverick’s?
